[center]"I recently discussed with an intelligent and well-disposed man the threat of another war, which in my opinion would seriously endanger the existence of mankind, and I remarked that only a supra-national organization would offer protection from that danger. Thereupon my visitor, very calmly and coolly, said to me: 'Why are you so deeply opposed to the disappearance of the human race?'" - Albert Einstein, 1949 “A man sets out to draw the world. As the years go by, he peoples a space with images of provinces, kingdoms, mountains, bays, ships, islands, fishes, rooms, instruments, stars, horses, and individuals. A short time before he dies, he discovers that the patient labyrinth of lines traces the lineaments of his own face.” ― Jorge Luis Borges, The Aleph and Other Stories [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/361298226655133708/754493753674301460/PoW_Banner.png[/img][/center] The year is 1955, but it is not our 1955. A generation ago the world was warped by the most violent of wars to patronize the human race. In the agonizing nations of Europe the warped alliances and stressed lurching and gnarled warping of the old competitive powers of the world finally broke 1914. A shot in Sarajevo sends the world careening into an abyss as an old empire buckles and breaks in anger. One after another, the nations of Europe and her colonies throw human life at each other in an industrialized slaughter not before seen. The flower of Europe is scorched and frayed on the fields of France, in Africa, in the Middle East, and in Asia as colonies and world spanning Empires converge upon Europe to fight under the clear unbroken sky in a violence more naked and more clear than any earlier soldier would have dreamed from the old world-spanning wars of Europe's rivalries. The smoke that scours the battlefield springs not from cannons or from rifles, but from the chemical death that rolls out from artillery as white hot smoke rolls over spider-webbed trenches to snuff out or drive out the enemy. Up until 1927 the Central and Allied powers thrust into each other seeking weakness, grinding up the flower of their youth, of generations, to attain some upper hand to the glory; though it may be said and wisely, that even by then the great giants of Europe bled themselves weak on the field and withheld their sabers for a time before. And why is it for a full thirteen years Europe swung and shot at each other, up-ending age old traditions and customs and annihilating themselves? With the two histories of our world and theirs overlain, the fraying of the thread becomes clear. For all the devilish machinations neutrality in America is maintained! Do you see it there? And what happens in Russia? The czar retreats, wise to the plots of reformers and radicals and pulling back to put them under. Germany is relieved, the powers can refocus. The landscape shifts and come into new focus. And the war drags. Summoned from Asia, summoned from Africa! The colonial askaris come to fight on Europe's shores and ask, “why?” During and after: revolution, the war ends and it's bitter. Little changes, but nothing can be won. Only things can be lost. The world over changes and as the old European giants collapse into their sick beds to heal their wounds others come scrambling to claim their roost. Has this been settled? It has not. The politics change, the market has changed. The bullet remains chambered in its rifle. [hr] [h2]Intro[/h2] Welcome to Precipice of War, you may have heard the name. Precipice of War is an old brand of Roleplay, tracing its legacy several forums ago where it was born on the old Spore forums. It changed over time as it migrated, and has been rebooted and retconned now and then. And again it's being rebooted for you. So you might be asking and for clarity's sake: what is the premise of this RP? As a Nation RP you take on the roll of a country, its politics, and its characters. Though this has not always been the case in PoW, and we have accepted single character applications and even applications for non-government organizations. The world is set in an alternate history, where instead of a single clear and unique winner in the First World War, there is no discernible victor. Instead the war drags on excruciatingly long and then ends without a confirmed “winner” one way or the other. Ceasefires were written in 1921, but the final 1927 peace signed in Rotterdam was merely a means by which to end open hostilities, containing within what minimum is needed to ensure as much. Though unilateral treaties between hostile parties are not out of the question. For this to happen the US maintained neutrality in the war, and the Russian Empire withdrew early to quell the fermenting revolution. But for the later the price it had to pay for that was dear and despite the wise move was still eroded from within. Over the ensuing decades it became less and less capable and transformed into a pariah of itself. Now in 1955 we pick up, and the future there is up to you. Because of World War 2 as well, it is taken as fact that the war-time developments that occurred during that war and arose from it do not exist in this RP and the world is technologically stunted. Sorry folks: no jet airplanes and no nuclear weapons for you! [hr] [h2]Handy Timeline of Events[/h2] [url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vPUaC6c2J4NKB2y8UM7UBII2Fvxx1O8mWVjkkHKGRWc]POW Timeline (1910-1950)[/url] [hr] [h2]Russia: The Pariah of the North[/h2] One of the unique aspects of Precipice since the beginning was the dissolution of and destruction of Russia. As the history goes, it has devolved into a pariah of itself. While the global community recognizes the Russian Empire as existing as a single entity in respect to its borders, internally control of the country is under competition between the numerous officials and generals of the Empire while the Czar continues to rule from Saint Petersburg, having no real authority over the country. And for the intent of the RP, we are not allowing anyone to take command of the Czar, or no single person. That is why when it comes to Russia we have written a “Czar Bible” to differ to when your story archs pass through the Empire of the Rus. As of 1955 Russia is ruled in name by Czarina Kira Kirillovna of the house of Romanov. Kira finds herself on the throne. Enthroned based on a series of bad luck events, Kira is broadly considered illegitimate by the Old Guard of Russia and is rumored to be a lesbian because of her inability to so far sire any heirs. She however has adopted a strict state machinery which has alienated the New Guard of Russian politics which has distanced themselves from her as well. Having alienated either camp, what semblance of a state she has is incredibly weak and it is necessary for her to be propped up from outside to prevent a total collapse of Europe. Because of this, and her not being allowed to be player controlled the following is true: [b]- Things the Tsar would never do no matter what[/b] (and would never give any ground on for these issues): Kira is absolutely an Anti-Communist and will not accept communist proposals or communists in government. [b]- Things the Tsar would only do under great pressure and even then reluctantly[/b] Kira is incredibly reluctant to give up her absolute authority and, only being forced to give up power to The Duma under great duress and pressure, but will jump at taking back powers from The Duma. [b]- Things the Tsar would feel indifferent about and leave to others to sort out[/b] Distribution of Russian territory to foreign adventurers on the pretense they are there to quell the imperial unrest [b]- Things the Tsar would feel is none of her business and avoid making a choice about[/b] Kira is internationally indifferent, if anything just leaving international affairs to vacationing. [b]- Things the Tsar would support[/b] Kira would support fellow Absolutists and particularly generals that support the Czar [b]- Things the Tsar would vehemently defend, to the death if need be[/b] The Orthodox Church Addition to the Bible will be made by player consensus as the RP progresses. If a new situation arises that is not addressed by the Bible, we will discuss what the most likely course of action she will take and add it to the Bible. The hopes being as things move along an organic and consistent-enough NPC character will develop as everyone fucks around with Russian internal politics. Otherwise: players are free to play as their own autonomous or independent rebellious groups within Russia itself as they are outside of it. [hr] [h2]The British Empire: The Federalized Empire[/h2] Because of unique OOC circumstances surrounding the British Empire functionally, and its extreme size this RP is observing the passage of the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Federation]Imperial Federation[/url]. The implication of this is that the British Empire, being so badly bruised militarily and politically after the long disaster of the Great War. In hopes of healing the antagonisms within the Empire, Parliament signed into law acts that federalized the empire, and signing them into law the Crown conceded local autonomy to much of its vast holdings outside the home islands, and even granting political autonomy to Scotland the relieve pressure on the core. However, the effect of the Great War on national consciousness in the colonies and their relationship to the Home Islands was not entirely abated by the Acts of Federalization. Movements ripple throughout the greater Empire in resistance to even hands-off British rule. During the present moment of the RP, crisis is broiling in British India as protest over the murder of Gandhi has spilled over into full scale insurrection and warfare across the entirety of the sub-continent. To Federal States of the Empire, none are required to come to the aid of the British Homelands and are entrusted to respond to crisis at the imperial core out of good faith. But in the event of crisis at the imperial margins, the British homelands are required to send military aid and respond as-if being invaded, rendering Britain and Scotland the dedicated defenders of a vast realm. Players who come into PoW should be mindful of this. [center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/837830295515824129/904472798230093844/Precipice_of_War_Commonwealth_Empire_gfx.png[/img][/center] For as long as the Imperial Federation remains without players it is in an NPC state, and its regions are up to random chance as rolled by me with dice. This shall be done on a regional basis, and the RNG is intended to, for now, simulate the precarity of the realm. Each region of the Federation is numbered off and follows: [list] [*] 1 - Europe and British possessions in Europe (the Home Islands, Gibraltr, Cyprus) [*] 2 - India and Asia (India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Burma, Malaysia, etc) [*] 3 - Africa (Occupied Egypt, South Africa, Rhodesia, etc) [*] 4 - Oceania (Australia, New Zealand) [*] 5 - British America (Canada, Jamaica, British Guiana, etc) [/list] On rolling a region with dice, I will roll 1-10 on the intensity of the situation in the area. With a 1 equaling most favorable to the British and 10 most favorable to the anti-British. In some cases because of historical legacy a modifier will have to be used to reflect the legacy of pro-British sentiment. These buying: [list] [*] Home Islands: -5 intensity [*] Oceania: -5 intensity [*] British America: -3 intensity [/list] On rolling and determining the intensity I will narrativize it within the context of ongoing events and write a post as a release from the British Broadcasting Corporation or from Reuters. In all cases of intensities of 4-6 there will be no territorial changes. Following this, a roll of 4-10 will take place which will be how much time in post count will transpire before the next event. This does not exclude situations in which the player is interacting with the Imperial Federation of the United Kingdom in any way. In which case the player determines what is happening. Neither does it overlap with a player who has a nation in the commonwealth, in which case I will exclude them from any events or simply stop rolling for that region all together. In the event there is a roll in which literally nothing happens (Homelands; intensity 4-5) I will simply start over. [center][h3]Imperial Federation Players[/h3][/center] - This is where I would list you chaps, IF I HAD ANY - [hr] [h2]The Map and Nation Claim[/h2] (the map may include nations filled in for lore reasons specific to a particular player, but does not mean any of these nations are ran by the player who requested them filled out in any way, shape, or form) [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/407707049502310411/837849428383629332/PoW_HoI4_Base_Players_2021.png[/img] Already claimed Nations: Federal Republic of China (blue) – AaronMk Germany (gray-brown) – Yam I Am Dominion of Canada (Burnt Orange) - CaptainBritton United States of America (Dark Purple) - MaoMao Mexico (Green) – TheEvanCat Argentina (Tourqouis) – Wyrm The basic application format if you're actually committed is: [b]Nation:[/b] (Or name, or name of organization if you are playing as an individual or a non-state based organization [b]Map:[/b] (Or location of residence for the character, or where the organization is headquartered) [b]History:[/b] [hr] Discord: https://discord.gg/syzbqMb